Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

Witty recommended Daffodil in south Lincoln for great food. As always, he is right. The restaurant is small and simple. The hospitality is like a big hug; a portrait of the owner and chef hangs on the wall. And the food is outstanding. We will spend more time on the pastries in a minute. The buffet of main courses and sides is the centerpiece. The chef's son guided me through the dishes and gave me a small plate full of samples. You really can't refuse these small bites, they are part of the welcoming process. I tried several meat dishes and all were outstanding. I went vegetarian for my main courses. The eggplant was excellent; the sauce reminded me of those I've had in outstanding New Jersey Italian restaurants. The chick peas were hearty and wonderfully spiced. I couldn't end my meal without a baklava. The pastry was flaky, soaked in flavorful honey. The pistachios were crunchy and full of flavor. Witty tells me that the rose baklava are t...

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Eatery A. Although wood-fired pizzas occupy the center of the menu, the dishes have a strong Mediterranean bent. Don't worry, there is plenty of pork on the menu, too. The space is large and filled with activity. Our service was extremely gracious and welcoming. We started with Manchego cheese with honey and almonds. The cheese was superb and the honey in particular made a great accen. These are bacon-wrapped figs. This is always a great contrast and the spectacular bacon used here really made the dish. The bacon was full of pork flavor and not overwhelmed by its curing. Debbie's pizza was Mediterranean=themed, with goat cheese and pickled vegetables. She thought it was delicious. I ordered a chicken shawrma skewer. THe meat was juicy and the spices were rich without being overpowering. It was bedded with pickled zucchini and a delicious hummus. Given the quality of the other dishes, we had to try a dessert. This is our cardamom...

Mediterranean Bakery is one of those great little places in the Other Chamblee, north of 285 and east of 85. Even though it is away from the foodie magnet of Buford Highway, it still does a good business. Their oven seems to run endlessly. In addition to the restaurant, they also sell a selection of groceries. That's very dangerous for someone like me---I was starting to get ideas. One of these pies is zatar, which is a combination of sesame and herbs. The other is half cheese, half zatar. I really love zatar. The sesame combines with the rich herbs has a very natural taste, like being in the pine forests. The bread on which they were spread was the tender/chewy combination that we all love.

I just discovered Garbanzo. They have several locations in ATL; I tried the D concourse location. I'm very glad to have another vegetarian option at the airport. My very generous meal included hummus, falafel, and diced vegetables, among other options. The falafel was a tad overdone but overall the food was quite good, not to mention filling. I always appreciate the luxury of a meal on a plate when I travel. This light but filling vegetarian meal was a welcome treat for dinner.

Category: Great local midtown place Verdict: Excellent food, wonderful service, and you can even park! Fava Mezze has been around for a few months and I finally stopped by on a whim.  I'm glad I did. It's on Hemphill near 14th Street. The restaurant is very simple and intimate but it is backed up by a catering kitchen so the menu is very complete. The service here was extremely gracious. When I came in, the owner explained the menu to me and suggested that he could put together a combination plate for me.  Since I haven't had falafel in awhile, I decided to try that with a small Arabian salad.  The result was delicious.  The falafel was very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with just enough dressing. The salad---tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, etc.---was very refreshing.  Once again, the service was outstanding: the chef came out to ask me how I liked it; the food was served on an elegant piece of china. The owner was nice enough to let me sample...

Last night, Ted Lee joined us for dinner at Mezza.  It's on Lavista in north North Druid Hills.  The food is nouvelle Mediterranean/Lebanese.  The format is tapas.  You will need to order several plates to complete the meal but you don't need to order everything at once. You can pace both the variety and quality as you go; everything arrives quickly. The quality is excellent.  A few favorites: fried eggplant; fried cauliflower; hummus deluxe, which includes ground meat; chicken and beef shawarma.